Watch “The Paterno Family: Chronicling a New York Real Estate Legacy” video on YouTube
Read ‘The Paterno Brothers & Their Manhattan Apartment Houses‘ Look Book
1900 507 West 112th Street (demolished)
– John Paterno
– M.V.B. Ferdon (source)
– started by Giovanni (John) Paterno & finished by Joseph and Charles Paterno (Kelley Paterno page 285)
– six story building
Giovanni “John” Paterno, who had been a builder in Castellemezzano, Italy, immigrated with his family to New York City where he re-established his career. Upon his illness and subsequent death in 1899, his sons Joseph (1881-1939) and Charles (1878-1946), who had just completed his medical degree at Cornell University, established Paterno Brothers Constructions taking responsibility for completing two of their father’s apartment projects at 507-509 West 112th Street (now demolished). By the 1920s, Paterno Brothers and other members of the extended family had constructed 40 apartment buildings in Morningside Heights, 24 of which were designed by the firms of Schwartz & Gross and Gaetan Ajello, are within the Morningside Heights Historic District. (source)
In 1898, John Paterno began construction on two of the earliest apartment houses on Morningside Heights, a pair of modest structures at 505 and 507 West 112th Street (demolished). At John’s death in 1899, Joseph and his brother Charles were brought in to complete the unfinished buildings. (source) – 507 & 509 are correct addresses – 1897 Home for Old Men and Aged Couples (HOMAC) built at 501-505 (source)(map)
EXTERNAL LINKS:
“In 1886 Granddad [Giovanni Paterno], together with a Scotch stonemason, Mr. McIntosh, formed a construction company. Land in the downtown area was too costly, so they ventured way uptown in Manhattan. In that period, that location was far removed from the heart of the City. Practically everything above 100th Street was still virgin land and farms. The horse-drawn trolleys with pot belly stoves terminated just below 100th Street. They constructed many three-story brownstone walk-up houses, between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues, and between Broadway and Amsterdam, then extended their activities as far north as 112th Street. About 1892, Mr. McIntosh wanted to dissolve the partnership, and Granddad continued on his own. Meanwhile his three older sons, Saverio, Charles and Joseph, helped him in his work after school hours. Saverio, my father, worked as a carpenter’s helper.” The Paterno Family Heritage Book by Michael J. Paterno 1 January 1985 page 7 [Carla’s note: I don’t think these dates are accurate. Paterno and McIntosh didn’t build until 1896. They built together three 5-story brownstones in 1896 and 1897.]
New York Times (1857-1922); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 26 Oct 1898: 10.
New York Times (1857-1922); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 03 Nov 1898: 10.
New – York Tribune (1900-1910); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 18 Dec 1903: 13.
